Qualcomm and BlackBerry extend connected car partnership

BlackBerry has announced the extension of its strategic partnership with Qualcomm to deliver ‘cutting-edge’ platforms for connected cars.

Patrick Little, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Automotive at Qualcomm, comments: "As innovation in the automotive industry accelerates it becomes necessary for industry leaders to work together to deliver leading-edge technology platforms that help to make vehicles safer, more connected, and increasingly autonomous,"

"Today we're building on our longstanding relationship with BlackBerry to develop automotive platforms that will accelerate the industry toward a more connected future."

The partners will also work together on ensuring BlackBerry over-the-air (OTA) software and BlackBerry Secure Credential Management (SCM) services are optimised for select Qualcomm Snapdragon modems.

"BlackBerry and Qualcomm Technologies have had a long-standing relationship for over a decade, collaborating on technologies that have revolutionized the way people live and work," said Sandeep Chennakeshu, President of BlackBerry Technology Solutions. "Today's announcement elevates our relationship as we aim to accelerate the delivery of the next generation platforms that connected vehicles will rely upon."

BlackBerry debuted its QNX Hypervisor 2.0 in June and Qualcomm was signed up to use it for digital cockpit applications in addition to its Snapdragon 820A automotive platform.

With the warnings of connected cars being targeted by hackers, BlackBerry could be well positioned to take advantage of concerns with its reputation for security. Partnering with Qualcomm, whose chips are expected to play a pivotal role in connected cars, should further help to ensure BlackBerry’s success in a market set forhuge growth.